An inspiring exchange of knowledge and ideas between young chefs and some of the greatest chefs in the world, curated by Fine Dining Lovers, will enrich the exciting program of the three days event in Milan;

Cape Town, 28 October 2021 – S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy is proud to announce the first edition of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy “Brain Food” Forum that will be held on 30th October, at the Grand Finale of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2019-2021 in Milan, and is curated by Fine Dining Lovers.

The launch edition of the Forum, with Fine Dining Lovers’ editor-in-chief Ryan King as host, will focus on Taste & Creativity and will inspire all the young chefs and real food enthusiasts who attend the event, providing stimulating ideas and reflections related to the world of gastronomy.

The forum line-up will include the likes of Massimo Bottura and Virgilio Martinez who will discuss the key themes, demonstrating how creativity, drive for taste, and discovery do not just result in delicious food, but can also change lives for the better. Bottura will discuss his mission to save food from waste, his appointment with the UN Environment Program (UNEP) as Goodwill Ambassador, and Refettorio projects – cultural community hubs with social kitchens under the vision of the non-profit Food for Soul now partnering with the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy –  mobilizing and empowering local communities to reduce food loss and waste and support social inclusion. Martinez will talk about his project ‘Mater’, undertaken to catalogue and rediscover ingredients and techniques within the local communities of the Andes and the Amazon to preserve indigenous gastronomic culture for the future.

In addition to Bottura and Martinez, the forum will host seven additional leading figures in global gastronomy who will also be the members of the Grand Jury who will decide the winner of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy 2019-2021 Award: Enrico Bartolini (three-star Michelin chef originally from Tuscany is one of Italy’s, and the world’s, brightest gastronomic talents), Manu Buffara (executive chef and owner of Manu in Curitiba, which is paving the way for gastronomy in Brazil), Andreas Caminada (at the age of only 33, he earned three Michelin stars, and today showcases his vision of gastronomy in the historic 13th-century castle of Schauenstein, Switzerland), Mauro Colagreco (Italian-Argentine chef at the three-Michelin-star restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France), Gavin Kaysen (James Beard Award winner and one of the founding mentors of the non-profit Mentor BKB Foundation (formerly Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation), Clare Smyth (the first and only female chef to run a restaurant with three Michelin stars in the UK) and Pim Techamuanvivit (owner of Nari, Kamin, and Michelin-starred Kin Khao in San Francisco, and the executive chef of Michelin-starred Nahm in Bangkok). These Seven Sages will make up a panel of experts that will invite questions and discussion around the themes of Taste & Creativity. Young talents and previous winners of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition, Mitch Lienhard (USA, 2016) and Mark Moriarty (UK & Ireland region, 2015) will also be in attendance to discuss expectations of young chefs today and their experiences in the industry.

The topics of Taste & Creativity are chosen to reiterate the core values of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy: an online educational platform created to attract, connect and nurture diverse talent in the world of gastronomy.

Following the launch event, the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy “Brain Food” Forum will continue to take place at various locations across the globe, offering insight across varying themes with the aim of providing direct access to knowledge from global figures in the hospitality industry.

The Brain Food Forum will be available to view via live stream on Fine Dining Lovers, after registration to https://www.finedininglovers.com/welcome, on Saturday 30th October from 09:30-12.30pm CET.

The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy “Brain Food” Forum isn’t the only novelty of this year competition: on 29 October, Michelin-starred chef Cristina Bowerman will meet the young female chefs attending the event for an informal chat on Women's Leadership, sharing with them her international experience as a successful chef, entrepreneuse, consultant and coach. This meeting will be the first activity of a long-term empowerment programme from the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy intended to nurture the next generation of young female professionals.

-- ENDS --

About S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna
S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks are international trademarks of Sanpellegrino S.p.A., which is based in Milan, Italy. Distributed in over 150 countries through branches and distributors on all five continents, these products represent quality excellence by virtue of their origins and perfectly interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of pleasure, health and well-being. Founded in 1899, Sanpellegrino S.p.A. is the leading company in the beverage sector in Italy with its range of mineral waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs, drinks and iced teas. As a major Italian producer of mineral water, it has always been committed to enhancing this primary good for the planet and works responsibly and passionately to ensure that this resource has a secure future.

About Fine Dining Lovers
Fine Dining Lovers is an international digital platform that publishes insider information from within the restaurant world, drawing on its unique access to the best the industry has to offer. The online magazine is supported by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, but is editorially independent.

For more information:

Paddington Station PR
Paul W. Reynell - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sanpellegrino S.p.A.
Barbara D’Amico - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

We Are Social
Sabrina Varaldo - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The One&Only Reaching for Young Stars held a cook-off for the final leg of its competition before the winner’s announcement in September. The beverage service category, sponsored by Sanpellegrino with their fine mineral waters and Italian Sparkling Drinks along with prominent South African spirit brands and wine estates, tested students to a fine-dining level of service on everything from cocktail creativity, wine and water presentation to food and wine pairings. Students, mentors, and judges share their insights from the day. 

South Africa, Cape Town, August 2021 – The intense focus on the young faces busy simmering and sautéing in the hot kitchen at the International Hotel School mirrors that of a restaurant kitchen pre-service, and the pressure is just as real, as students prepare their dishes in the cook-off. Delayed due to lockdown levels, the cook-off sees teams competing from seven Cape Town and Stellenbosch culinary and hospitality institutions. The organisers, Showcook.com have carefully designed categories to cover the full experience of fine dining, including baking, barista, and beverage service, as well as presentation of a three-course meal – and they’ve set the standards high. 

Judging the beverage service, Penelope Horwood says, “We have exceptionally premium sponsors this year, with S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna mineral waters, KWV brandy and Cruxland gin, and some of our leading wine estates. It just shows where Showcook.com has placed the competition, to encourage young sommeliers and chefs to reach for the level they will need working in a five-star milieu.” 

The seven schools - International Hotel School, Hurst Campus, CTIA, IHT Hotel School, CPUT, Capsicum Culinary Studio and Esiko – each field a team of up to five students to cover all the categories and are sponsored by a different wine estate, which the team visits to learn about and taste the wines. Mentored by the winemaker, the beverage student plays a key role in the team. “Deciding the wine pairings was part of my job description,” says Chrizaan Myburgh, Hurst Campus. “Our wine farm, Ernie Els, was 90 percent red wines with just one rosé and one chenin, so we adjusted our menu to the wines, the most amazing wines, beautiful styles, it was so exciting.” 

In the beverage prep kitchen, the intense focus is as apparent as in the next-door hot kitchens, students practising their two creative cocktails, one based on Cruxland gin and one on KWV brandy, using Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks as mixers. Others are rehearsing their wine bottle opening and pouring skills, ensuring that their glasses are sparkling and chip-free, and preparing set up of their mise en place. Each student has 30 minutes to do a full presentation to the judges demonstrating their cocktail, wine and water service skills and knowledge. 

Water Service

The students start by serving judges, Penelope Horwood and sommelier Luvo Ntezo of One&Only, a choice of S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna mineral waters. “We look at the water service as if it’s a five-star restaurant, hotel or game lodge,” says Penelope. “We see how they offer us water as we sit down, we want to see the knowledge of the water. You receive your water before you decide on your wines, so it’s important.” A lot is in the detail, which side they serve from, and that they offer water refills throughout the service, but it’s also about people skills. “We learnt a lot. How to talk to the guests, to interact in those awkward moments, how to come to the table,” says Seth Walburg, IHS. 

The workshop on mineral waters, with S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, at the launch of the competition in June  was an eye opener for most of the students. “Before that I didn’t know that water service was a thing, so it’s amazing to learn, to have water be an interesting story to tell,” says Lehana Zandberg, IHT Hotel School. 

Water service also features in the barista category, “You serve a glass of water with your shot of espresso to experience all the flavour components of the coffee,” says Danae Uys, IHT, “I chose to use Acqua Panna still mineral water because it’s a nice palate cleanser and it’s smooth on the palate.” 

The Cocktails

With the cocktails the beverage students were able to let their creativity flow. As well as using the Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks for colour and flavour, they had created an array of infusions, syrups and other elements to add pizzazz. Smoke and chili caviar, salted caramel and rosemary infused tea, rose geranium and lemon verbena were just a few of the aromas wafting around the prep kitchen. 

Most of the students chose the Aranciata Rossa (blood orange) to mix with the KWV brandy, as the depth of flavour naturally complemented it, while they found either the Limonata (lemon) or Pompelmo (grapefruit) worked well for lighter gin cocktails. Zoe Stoffels, CTIA, found herself turning the obvious pairing around, “I used the Limonata for the brandy and the Aranciata Rossa for the gin. I’d infused the gin with some juniper berries and lavender and when I added that blood orange, it enhanced the drink just like that.” 

Chrizaan also enjoyed the whole experience, “I’ve studied being a chef, so the beverage side was completely new for me. We did some beverage training at school, but this was a whole new world. I absolutely loved working with the Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks as mixers, they’re so natural and light and complemented the flavours perfectly. So easy to incorporate.” 

Wine Service and Food and Wine Pairing

Pouring their wines, sharing their stories, and talking through their menus and wine pairings completes the beverage students’ presentation to the judges. 

The actual food and wine pairings are tasted and judged separately. Here Guy Webber, winemaker at Hill & Dale, says he is looking for a basic understanding of what they are trying to achieve, “Actually getting the food and the wine to complement each other rather than just be food and wine. Secondly creativity in terms of pushing the boundaries.” This is the hardest skill for inexperienced students to learn and it’s all about practise. “You’ve got to trust your palate, you can’t google these things, you can’t read from a textbook.” Consistency is key, he says, “You need to have that taste in your head so that when you’re cooking the dish you know – the fact that you’ve tied this dish to a wine for a pairing means that the dish can’t deviate. It’s next-level cooking.” 

A Learning Experience

For many of the students this was their first competition and they found it was a valuable learning experience. “It’s very motivating and great experience if you want to go into the hospitality industry,” says Wandile Mpakumpaku, Capsicum Studio. 

Learning opportunities present throughout the competition. “I was very new to wine and to cocktail making,” says Liyanda Madikane who is studying hospitality management at CPUT, “Due to Covid, we have been unable to partake in much practical bar and restaurant experience, so coming to this competition meant a lot.” 

Winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony at the One&Only Cape Town Hotel on 2nd September. Sanpellegrino wishes all the participants the best of luck.

-- ENDS --

About S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna
S.Pellegrino, Acqua Panna and Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks are international trademarks of Sanpellegrino S.p.A., which is based in Milan, Italy. Distributed in over 150 countries through branches and distributors on all five continents, these products represent quality excellence by virtue of their origins and perfectly interpret Italian style worldwide as a synthesis of pleasure, health and well-being. Founded in 1899, Sanpellegrino S.p.A. is the leading company in the beverage sector in Italy with its range of mineral waters, non-alcoholic aperitifs, drinks and ice teas. As a major Italian producer of mineral water, it has always been committed to enhancing this primary good for the planet and works responsibly and passionately to ensure that this resource has a secure future. 

For Press Inquiries:
Paddington Station PR
Paul Reynell+27 21 467 0564
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

On behalf of:
Ania Odyniecka
Clearworld, South Africa.

For more than 100 years, family has been at the heart of Clover. These days, we know that a busy lifestyle makes it increasingly difficult to ensure your family gets the best nutrition in their daily diet.

This is why Clover CareTM was specifically developed by food specialists – to help your family get the healthy boost they need. We’ve enriched our Way BetterTM, quality Clover milk with nutrients lacking in the South African diet. It’s the first of its kind in the South African diet!

It contains 11 vitamins, nine amino acids and three minerals, and is a good source of protein and calcium. The whole family can enjoy Clover Care just like regular Clover milk – by drinking it on its own, having it in tea and coffee, pouring it over cereal or using it in cooking and baking.

Clover Care Enriched Full Cream Milk is available in fresh and long-life options in one-litre packs, and hit the supermarket shelves in September. More peace of mind for moms who care about their families’ nutrition, no doubt! For more information visit the Clover Care page on our website.

Media Contact:

Name & Surname: Prof Elain Vlok

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

Telephone: +27114711527

South Africa’s #1 fruit juice-based brand, Tropika, has officially announced the seventh season of Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles. The season will air in April 2017 on SABC 3 and consumers can now enter to be part of the show, alongside their favourite celebrities.

Nine of South Africa’s hottest celebrities have been selected and are calling consumers to enter to be on the show. The show’s host is Minnie Dlamini and the Games Master is Jonathan Boynton-Lee. The celebrity contestants include Siv Ngesi, Zakeeya Patel, Maurice Paige, Karlien van Jaarsveld, EmTee, Anga Makubalo and Jessica Nkosi.

The announcement kicked off with a bang in Durban, where hype was created around the premise that mysterious ‘treasure’ was hidden on a beach in Umhlanga. Crowds gathered, consumers got talking and a treasure chest was finally excavated, filled with the smoothest Tropika product. Minnie Dlamini, Zakeeya Patel and Maurice Paige were also present and officially announced that consumers can now enter the competition by buying a bottle of Tropika for all the entry details.

Seven of the celebrities will each be paired with a Tropika consumer to form seven smooth teams to participate in the competition on the tropical island of the Seychelles. The contestants will be pushed to their limits and test their newly formed relationships as each team strives to outdo one another and win the R1 million grand prize.

“We are so excited about the new season of Tropika Island of Treasure Seychelles, it promises to be the smoothest season yet,” says Miantha Padayachee, Brand Group Manager for Tropika.

All Tropika Fresh packs will now be limited edition packs with sparkling gold caps and the celebrities will be featured on the bottles from July to September 2016. Consumers are encouraged to purchase a Tropika fresh pack and enter the promotion by dialling *120*8767*last 4 digits of the barcode# and follow the prompts. Consumers will not only enter the promotion to take part in the TV series but will also stand the chance to win R500,000.00 in instant airtime and cash prizes.

Are you ready to join the Tropika Team in the Seychelles? For more information please visit Facebook: @tropikaisland or Clover Tropika’s website.

{pp}A year in the making and it’s finally here...The all new WHAT2NIGHT.CO.ZA (www.what2night.co.za), the online restaurant and nightspot guide, has arrived…